


Arcadia

by NikaAnuk



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Boarding School, Fluff, Historical Inaccuracy, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-13 07:27:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2142294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikaAnuk/pseuds/NikaAnuk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sentimental, romantic and nostalgic. </p><p>An AU about boarding school and two boys who will soon be adults and will have to face the big bad world outside.<br/>But for now? Let them have this day.</p><p> </p><p>The title is taken from 'Brideshead revisited's' soundtrack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arcadia

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my beloved Arinsar for beta.  
> All mistakes are my only.

The day is beautiful, as beautiful as can be a sunny day in October.  
Charles opens his eyes to look at the school, its shadow has started to eat the cricket pitch and soon would will come to the place where he is laying. But for half an hour, maybe a little longer, there is only him and sun.  
The rest of students is playing cricket nearby or sitting on the grass, but only Charles chose a spot far from the school, close to the park, where no one could disturb when he is reading. And not only this. He had chose this spot also because he was here perfectly visible from the windows of professor Whitecrick's class. Erik - during his extra lessons - would see him for sure. And maybe he would even long to be outside on the blanket with Charles, and not in the classroom, where glass cabinets are full of rocks and stones and even thought there are no gemstones professor Whitecrick makes them learn about and keep talking about as the most precious stones.  
Anyway, Erik is locked in the school for sending notes in the class - balls of paper with quite funny stories about rocks and professor - and Charles is enjoying the lazy afternoon. To be quite honest he hopes he will see Erik today, this is partly why he decided to lie here, it would be really a loss if he did not meet him. The day is just too beautiful to not to meet Erik Lehsnsherr.  
Son of German-Jewish immigrants raised in Dublin was not the best friend Charles could find in the private school but as long as Charles was in here he lived the life like he liked to and not like his mother wanted him to. This was partly why he liked going to school here and why he hated summer break between terms when he had to go home.  
The great clock rings four times warning everyone who - just like Charles - is enjoying the sun that it will soon be gone. Maybe if he went to the other side of school they would have it longer but Charles has his blanket and his book and even sandwiches and he doesn't plan to move.  
He was reading earlier but now he just lies down with his eyes closed and smiles to the warmth of the sun. During such afternoon he could swear that this place was somehow under a spell protecting it from the world outside. There were some dreadful news about situation in Europe but today, more than ever, Charles cannot believe that anything people were saying could be true. When the sun shines at you and when you hear Oswin and Perrick reading Romeo and Juliet out loud and when you smell the sweet scent of warm grass, you just cannot believe that evil can exist.  
And then a shadow covers half of his face. He would wince but a familiar voice with strong German accent says:  
“You were waiting for me I see. Tell me you didn't eat everything.”  
Charles only smiles and gestures towards the basket.  
“There is plenty of food left. Help yourself. How was your geology?” He chuckles.  
Judging by the sound Erik sat down and reached for the food. At least he wasn't covering the sun anymore.  
“He made me clean his rocks. I felt like polishing his balls.” Erik snorts and Charles laughs finally opening his eyes.  
Erik looks at him with smile and Charles feels like he is smiling back – he never smiled so much before.  
Erik is tall and skinny, his hair is always short and ruffled, and he is cutting it himself (Charles is still fascinated with the idea because his mother would probably kill him if he even only thought about such thing). He is all bony and made of sharp edges and Charles loves his weird charm of a rascal, it is just so different from everything Charles has ever know. His parents moved from Germany to Ireland - which was a poor change in Charles' opinion - but his reach Jewish aunt paid for his education in one of best English schools.  
“I'm surprised you didn't want to stay longer.” he chuckles.  
Erik laughs and shakes his head, wiping his lips with his hand - one of those terrible, terrible gestures which would made Charles' mother hate Erik if his look and his family were not enough.  
“That was never an option. I remember I had a date with Mary Shelley, I remember, you promised you will read for me.”  
“Did I?” Charles asks although he remembers very well. Erik has never liked to read and reading old books was even worse so Charles did it sometimes for him.  
Now he turns on his belly and takes the book.  
“Fine, let's see...”  
Despite he is on the third chapter he returns to the first and starts to read again.  
There is a moment when Erik's hand is placed on his lower back and stays there for a long time. When it becomes colder, Erik covers Charles with his jacket. And when Charles looks up at Erik one moment, he sees him sitting with his legs crossed and elbows rested on knees. He is watching him fascinated with the story and smiling.  
Charles smiles at him again, thinking that he could really fail his Latin only this year to stay here for a year longer, and he was sure Erik would fail his literature as well. One more year together... 

After the sun hides behind the school and it becomes not only cold but also too dark to read and the bell rings for the supper they go back. Charles takes his book and the basket, Erik folds the blanket and they are entering the school in a hurry. Charles can feel that his ears are probably as red as his nose and hands and Erik only takes the basket from him.  
“Go, have some tea.” He says and Charles smiles at him.  
After reading for almost an hour he feels his throat is sore and hurries to the dining room, sitting on the book so he doesn't have to explain where he has it from.  
They stand up to pray and then sit down but this time the book isn't there. Charles looks around and sees Pitchword flipping through the pages.  
“Well, Xavier, looks like it is not something you should read. I am sure that old Terrence will be more than happy to hear how eager you are to...”  
Erik shows up from nowhere and grabs Pitchword's ear, twisting it.  
“Give it back to him.” He says and when he is angry his voice is harsh and the German accent makes all words almost incomprehensible. But Pitchword understands and gives back the book and Erik releases him and sits next to Charles.  
“You will be sorry for this.” Pitchword hisses.  
“Yeah?” Erik looks at him. “Make me.”  
But the other boy is not stupid, he changes his place for another, throwing at them 'bloody Nazi' and walking away.  
“Thank you, my friend.” Charles says.  
He never uses his name around others, it would feel weird, it was so intimate. Erik on the other hand never uses his surname, he is always 'Charles' for him.  
When they eat Wallace comes to them, he is the senior of their house and they are not even surprised.  
“Lehnsherr” he says and the disdain is always clear in his voice when he says the name. “Professor Kenningston wants to see you later.” He says. “You should go to his study.”  
Erik only nods. Charles admires his cool, he would probably be red and anxious and tried to prepare at least two speeches for his defence but Erik just finishes his supper.  
“Looks like it's not the end of dates with professors for today.” He says and stands up Charles gets up as well even through he has not finish his meal yet.  
They walks out together and Charles feels that he is worried for Erik.  
“I hope he won't give you night shift.” He says.  
“He can't.” Erik shrugs. “Don't worry, Charles.” He smiles and - as always - Charles smiles back at him. “See? That's better. Just go to your room and wait, I will scratch your door when I will finish.”  
“No.” Charles says quickly and Erik looks at him surprised. “I mean, I am not sure whether this is a good idea, you know, it was a long day...”  
But the look on Erik's face tells him that he doesn't care.  
“Don't come if you are scared.” He says and continues upstairs while Charles takes the right corridor to his dormitory.  
They are not together in the room and Charles knows they never will. The teachers know how much they like each other and they think it is their duty to protect Charles from Erik. But that was just laughable, Charles loves Erik in a way and he could not imagine the day he will not see him. He is his best friend. 

If they wanted to meet, Erik would come to Charles' room and scratch at the door in an agreed way and then Charles would walk out and go on the last floor where - in the locked part of the school where they were not allowed - there was a way out on the flat rooftop. Erik was a master of locks, he once tried to explain it to Charles but he only blushed and shook his head saying he cannot understand.  
He has to wait almost three hours and just then when the rest of the school went to bed he hears the sound. He gets up from the bed and put on warm clothes. From under the bed he pulls out a torch and in trousers, jumper and scarf, he walks out. It is fifteen minutes after he heard the signal. Erik walked first and if the vase in the corridor on the third floor is turned around, it will mean that everything is okay and it is safe to go. Charles will turn it back as it should be and will climb the stairs.  
Erik has their blanket, he sits on the roof already with his back pressed against battlements. Charles closes the window and walks towards him. Erik raises the blanket so Charles can sit down next to him. Then he wraps his arm around Charles' shoulders and Charles is not cold anymore. It is not even the fabric itself but the warmth of another body what makes Charles smile with a pleasure. They are hidden from the world and Charles can even rest his head on Erik's shoulder.  
They have never talked about this but they both like the meetings on the rooftop. They do not even have to talk, mostly they are just sitting together and enjoying these moments. Both of them likes this but they never dare to name this feeling, like it could break this fragile agreement.  
Erik buries his nose in Charles' hair and Charles smiles feeling familiar shiver down his spine. Charles touches Erik's hand, there are few bruises on the back of it and even if Charles cannot see them now he feels them - thin lines on the rough skin - and he remembers them so well.  
Maybe this is the good moment to share with Erik the plan of staying in the school a year longer he thinks but before he has the chance to speak, Erik says something what makes Charles shiver with terror.  
“I will go to the army when they start recruiting.”  
Charles doesn't know what to say now. He wants to ask 'Do you really believe there will be war?' but even he knows that eventually something will happen. He could ask him to stay but he says nothing. It seems so silly now, to want to stay in the school. Charles shivers again and Erik - maybe thinking Charles is cold - takes him between his legs and wraps the blanket tighter around them.  
Hidden from the world in the blanket and with the warm Erik behind his back, Charles let himself to be scared and angry and sad because the world which was not even real few hours before now is taking Erik away from him. Beautiful, fantastic Erik who will probably die there because he doesn't know how to make friends and only friends can protect you.  
He says nothing and Erik says nothing as well. They just sit together. The night is cold but the blanket keeps them warm. Charles feels Erik's nose brushing against the back of his neck and he drops his head to give Erik better access to his sensitive skin. He falls asleep like this, with the ghostly sensation of kiss placed on his neck, surrounded by Erik's smell and warmth.  
The night passes slowly and - like this is the last gift from the world - no one notices that they are not in their beds. Erik falls asleep too eventually with Charles in his arms, knowing this will be their last term together. He knows they will take him, he knows because he already asked. Few more weeks and he will be far away from the roof and from Charles.  
They sleep peacefully until the dawn which wakes them up with cold and raising sun. They watch the sky change its colour but they say nothing, Charles feels his head is heavy - no doubts he will have a cold - Erik tries to remember Charles scent and the way his hair are tickling his nose. When the sun shows up and the clock rings six they get up and return to the school.  
They are still not talking as there is nothing more they can say.


End file.
